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200 years of Anton Bruckner

Anton* rocks...

... on every stage. Whether at his Brucknerhaus concert hall in Linz, the St. Florian Monastery, the Salinen Austria saltworks in Ebensee, in cities or in the countryside, Anton Bruckner’s bicentenary is celebrated throughout Upper Austria. After all, a 200th birthday doesn’t come around every year. Embracing the rich traditions of the past while reaching for the stars — no one embodies this quintessential Upper Austrian virtue quite like him.

 

*Anton Bruckner (1824-1896): Born in Ansfelden near Linz. A celebrated organ improviser worldwide during his lifetime. In 1871, he performed at London’s Crystal Palace in front of 70,000 people. His nine symphonies make him one of the most frequently performed composers today.

Avant-garde and tradition

Upper Austria and Anton Bruckner have much in common. It’s the wonderful mixture of love for tradition, departure into the modern age and irrepressible spirit of innovation that distinguishes Upper Austria and its people. Being aware of one’s roots and growing up out of the land towards the sky. It’s the way of life here. And precisely what Anton Bruckner represents.

Anton Bruckner looks to the past while facing the future. He learns and perfects his musical craft, first as a member of the St Florian Boys’ Choir, then as an organist and organ virtuoso, and finally as a composer. Equipped with this grounding in tradition, he pushes open the doors to the future, looks beyond the horizon and leads the way to musical modernity.

Celebrate Anton Bruckner

Anton Bruckner’s bicentenary is a wonderful opportunity to experience and be a part of the rich diversity of Upper Austrian culture. Town squares and communities of all sizes throughout Upper Austria will host a wide range of projects connected with Bruckner, exploring his life and work, his personality and his lasting impact.

 

Bruckner and Upper Austria

Today, Anton Bruckner’s music can be heard in all of the world’s most famous concert halls. In Linz, it has found its ideal venue at the Brucknerhaus, located in the city’s riverside Donaupark. Having opened in 1974, the concert hall, which is famed for its excellent acoustics, is celebrating a milestone birthday in the same year as its namesake. The Bruckner Orchester Linz performs regularly at the Brucknerhaus. As Upper Austria’s symphony orchestra, it acts as the region’s musical ambassador when it travels the world on concert tours. Especially when it’s playing the music of Anton Bruckner. The Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz is a centre for teaching and research. What’s more, the sounds of the legendary Bruckner Organs, upon which the composer himself improvised, can be enjoyed in Linz’s Old Cathedral and in the basilica at the monastery in nearby St Florian.

 

© [Translate to Englisch:] Foto Linz Tourismus/Robert Josipovic: Das Brucknerhaus im Donaupark in Linz
[Translate to Englisch:] Zwei Frauen bei einem abendlichen Spaziergang vor dem Brucknerhaus in Linz.

If you don't lose your head at the finale of Bruckner's 8th Symphony, you can't be helped or you haven't turned up the volume loud enough.
Norbert Trawöger